Slush casting machine



Nov. l5, 1938. o. Rl-EG sLUsH CASTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 9, 19:5#

5 Sheets-Sheet J llnlllmllllllllll I "vil Inv. Il;

'452 afg ATTORNEY Nov. l5, 1938. -o. RIEG SLUSH CASTING' MACHINE FiledJan. 9, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. l5, 1938. o, mEq 2,137,217-

lSIgUSH CASTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 9, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYPatented Nv.15,193s y 'l Y YZBLZi'Z narranA STATES PATENT orrics OttoRieg, Newark, N. J., assigner to The A. C.

- Gilbert Company, New Haven,Y Conn., a corpov ration of MarylandApplication January' s, 1937, serial No. 119,762 e claims. (olaz-57)This invention relates to apparatus for making A further object is toprovide interlocking decastings particularly of `metals `or othermoldvices which shall hold the mold sections against ablematerials'having a low melting point and turning movement while thesections are sepawhich are therefore quick to solidify within arated-for removing an article which has been cast '5Y mold. Such metalsor materials are most suittherewithin, and which shall cooperate withthe 5 able'for use by an unskilled operator in the makaforesaid safetydevices to preclude discharge of ing of toy castings and other smallarticles. molten material from the crucible atthat time. It is an objectof the present-invention to AV further object is to provide stops forlimiting Y u provide an apparatus which shall facilitate vthe themovements of various parts of the apparatus l l0 making of castings ofthis nature by persons who when shifted to their'respefctive stationsfor car- 10 have little or no knowledge of the founding` art ryingroutthe casting operations above described. and an apparatus which maysafelybe used, even A further object is to provide a removable rebychildren, in the home. ceptacle to receive the,v unsolidiiied castingma- Another object of the invention is to provide Van terial when itisdumped out of the mold cavity 15 apparatus of this nature'capable ofproducing andl to equip such receptacle with slopingwalls hollow orslush castings of lighter weight than adaptedvto cause the liquidmaterial discharged solid castings, this feature being ,desirableV intoy from the mold cavity to solidify within the receprsoldiers,ornamental statuettes and various other tacl'e in the general shape ofan ingot whereby articles not required to have an accurate contheingotmay easily be removed from the recepfiguration of their hollowinteriors. Also a greattacle by overturning the latter and redeposited20 er number of hollow or slush castings can-be proin the crucible forrepeated delivery to the mold duced from a given supply of molding metalor cavity in liquid form. t I material, than is the case where onlysolid cast- A still further object is to provide means disings can beproduced. Y posed to come in contact with the liquid casting A furtherobject is to provide an apparatus for material received from the moldcavity by the 25 operating separable and rotatable mold sectionsreceptacle, which shall ca use to be formed on the by the use of a'single hand so`that the other surface of the ingot, depressed or raisedmarkings hand of the operator may be free to control the constituting aname, figures` or the like, or a pouring of the liquid material to becast in consymbol of any kind' which may be useful in laterljunctionwith the opening, closing, and dumping identifying the ingotsformed by a given kind of 30 action of the mold sections for makinghollow casting materialqor for 'propagating the tradecastings. By thespeed of operation thus made mark or advertising marks of themanufacturer. lpossible, I avoid the slowness of in and out pour- Astill further object is to provide in a toggle ing operationsinherentfin apparatus for prolinkage mechanism employed for pressingtoducing slush castings as heretofore known, and gether cooperative moldsections, parts capable 35 am able to work with more quickly solidifyingof resilientlyyielding to a'limitedextent for opmaterials and produce agreater variety of more posing the overcentering action of Athe toggleperfect and uniformcastings. mechanism and holding the 'mold sectionsto- A further object is Vto provideV mechanism gether. p Y y 40 wherebythe mold sections may be opened, closed, A still further-object is toconstruct an appara- 4.o

andturned to dump out the unsolidied content tus ofthe *type describedwith parts of sufficient of the mold for producing a slush casting, allby ruggednessto withstand hard and constant usage the manipulation of asingle operating handle. so that the apparatus may be used as a machinelA further object is to provide mechanism adaptfor the rapid productionof uniform slush casted automatically to maintain the mold sections ingsin the commercial production of same, if 45 in closed'relationshipwhile' they are being rturned desired.

to dump out unsolidified casting material from The foregoing and otherobjects will appear in the mold cavity. ,greater particular fromtthefollowing detailed A further object is to provide safety devicesdescription which has reference to the appendcooperative between themold operating mechaed drawings, wherein: i e 50 nism` and certainmechanism-which controls the Fig.. l is a plan view showing in suitableacpouring or feeding of casting material from a tual size one possibleembodiment of the present crucible into the mold, to insure that nomolten improvements in casting apparatus, the rear exmetal or materialshall be poured or fed from tremity'of the machine being broken away andthe crucible when the mold sections are open. the actual widthfof thebase or platform being 55 condensed. The complementary mold sections areshown in closed relationship beneath the pouring spout of the crucible.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking from the right closed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View of the operating mechanism for the slidablemold section taken in vertical section on the plane 3-3 in Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrows and by overcentering action ofthe toggle mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a front View of the apparatus showing the parts positioned asin Fig. 2 and showing a portion of the base and side wall of thereceptacle cup broken away to exposetheir construction, the upper partof the Crucible being omitted. Y

Fig. 5 is a View looking at the rear end of the machine, portions ofwhich are omitted, and shows the mold turned aboutA its horizontal axisfor discharging unsolidied portions of the casting material from themold cavity to produce a slush casting.

The working parts of the apparatus are mounted upon a hollow base Iwhich may be made oi' sheet metal with down-turned edges and of suicientarea toV form an underlying platform extending well to shift position oroverturn when the parts of the apparatus are manipulated.

At the rear of base I a superstructure II is fixed to the top surface ofthe base by welding or any suitable means, consisting of a wide U-shaped sheet of metal having side walls I2 and in-turned flanges I3respectively at their tops affording an elevated support for .a CrucibleI4.

The crucible employed may have sundry forms but as here shown comprisesa cast metal body incorporating an annular chamber I containingelectrical resistance I6 preferably embedded in refractory material I1for heating the crucible chamber I8. A ring-like cap I9 covers theannular chamber I5 and exposes the crucible chamber I8. The electricalresistance I6 terminates at the rear of the machine in side-by-sideprongs 2li adapted to receive an electrical attachment cord terminal 2|for connection to a source of electric current. The Crucible may beheated by lgas flame or in any other suitable way. At the lower frontedge of the crucible aspout 22 containing a delivery orifice 23 isprovided for discharging molten metal or other material from theCrucible under the control of a valve rod 2f! Whose lower end operatesto control the` passage of the casting material outwardly throughorifice 23. Rod 24 extends di- 25 which hooks over a crank 26.

Crank 26 forms a portion of a long, bent handle 21 and together with thesame is pivotally supported at the top of a standard 28 iixed to the topflange I3 of the superstructure II. A standard similar to 28 ispreferably employed at the opposite side of the machine to provide adouble pivotal support for crank handle 21 which part of the machine tobe manipulated by the right hand of the operator and contains adownwardly oiTset bent portion 32 to et 34 secured to base I0 by screws35 on which is mounted a bearing stud 36 axially aligned with thebearing hole in bracket 33. All of the parts for supporting andoperating the mold sections 31, 38 comprise a movable structure which asa whole is pivotally suspended between brackets 33 and 34, whichstructure will now be described.

A front plate 39 of less than full circular area is rigidly secured to arear plate 40 by three horizontally disposed rods 4I each of Whose endportions may be reduced and threaded to penetrate plates 39 and 4U andto receive the retaining nuts 42. Front plate 39 is centrally aperturedto receive and be pivotally supported by bearing stud 36 on bracket 34.Rear plate 40 has Xedly secured thereto a straddle bar 43 carrying thetrunnion stud 44 which is pivotally supported in bearing bracket 33.

adapted to receive the retaining pin 46 which by removal permits moldsection 31 to be demounted from plate 40 and replaced by a diierent moldsection.

The three rods 4I are utilized as ways for slidably mounting a thirdplate 41 adapted to carry the cooperative mounting projection 48 maypenetrate sliding plate 41 and be retained therein by pin 49 all asldescribed in connection with the mold section 31 and plate 40. To givestability to the sliding constraint or plate 41 by the rods 4I,

i'it, respectively, upon the rods 4I. the carrier plate 41 is extendedto form a splash guard 5I containing the aperture 52 Whose purpose willappear hereinafter.

At its lateral opposite edges, the sliding plate 41 carries ears 53 bentforwardly and to which are respectively pivoted by suitable studs 54,the

has a crosswise hole c tion 4of theibail handle `55 by suitable studs 59which are in axial alignment; The togglelinks 51 Vare bowed topermit 4ofa resilient yielding action whose purpose willV appear hereinafter. Thepivotedend 61 of-bail handle 55 at the right side-of the`machine,is-bent outwardly V-and extends intothe vertical plane ofmovement of the valve handle21 for reasons which will-latervappear..Front plate 39 further carries in rigid 'relation-thereto stop bracketsG positioned-to engage with togglelinks 51- respectively and to becleared by the bailhandle 55in Vits 4svi/inging movement aboutpivots 54,Y j lThe sliding plate 41 carriesV a forwardly projecting post 6l inrigid relation thereto andthe 'front plate39 together with bearingbracket y311 are each apertured at 62r in line with post 6l to receivethe p'ost whenthe mold sections are Opened thereby tolock plates 39,41,and the entire structure supporting fthe moldv sections against rotativemovement relative tobracket 34. Bracket 34 further carries the upwardlyVprojecting stop 63 for limiting rotationof the parts" when they havebeen turned to mold lling position.' The top wall of base I9 isapertured at 64 to receive and fit a receptacle cup 65 having sloptosolidify in the shape characteristic of an ingot which may thereforereadily be removed from 'the cup when the latterl isfremoved from'thebase l0 and overturned. `This is conveniently done by use of the cuphandle 66 by means of which, if desired, the ingot' may be redepositedin the Crucible for replenishing the supply of molten casting material.be formed by an extension of the sheet-like material of the capwalls toprovide a large area of heat dissipating surface'tending to keep the cuphandle cool enough to be grasped by the'hand of Vthe operator.Indentations 68 stamped or otherwise produced in the floor wall ofreceptacle 65 may be provided for causing' a corresponding embossedmarkingto appear on thesurface of the ingot, by which means thetrade-mark of a manufacturer or some identifying mark for the kind ofcasting material being used will be propagated. If preferred, a separateindented or ern-` bossed ingot marking platemay be inserted into Athebottom of the cup so that the characters68/ comprising the mark may bevaried at will and without requiring a separate cup'to be usedforchangingthe marking.

The operation of my improved apparatusis as follows. Starting with theparts positioned as in Figs. 1 and 3A and as represented by broken linesin Fig. 2, it will be clear that the locking projection 61 carried bybail 55 is positioned to free the handle 21 and its'crank portion 26 forswinging movement clockwise inl Fig. 2 about its pivot -at the top offrame standard 28 because ofthe downwardly offset portion 32 ofthe longbent rod which comprises handle 21. `While grasping the frontmostspan ofthe bail or mold operating handle 55 with `his left hand, the operatorwill raise the'valve control handle 21 with his right hand againsttheresistance of spring 29 to aneasilycontrolled extent so that swingingof crank 26 ina clockwise direction -will withdraw the lower end ofvalve rod 24 a corresponding extent from'ts sealing position in rela-Handle 66 may conveniently.

tion to the pouring orice 23V if Crucible i4 is sufficiently heatedtoliquify the casting material in Crucible chamber I8.

Thereupon, an accurately controlled supply of the molten castingmaterial will be delivered by gravity into the mouth or gate 1l of themold V cavity 12 formed by the abutting mold sections -31`and 38 whosecorrect register is assured by the n dowels 69 on mold section 38engaging Jthe'dowelv holes 10 in mold section 31. The rate of deliveryof the casting-material to the mold is conveniently observed by theoperator through the aperture 52 in the splash guard 5l which also givesaview of the mold gate 1I so that the operator may knowvwhen themoldf'cavity is full and thereupon drop handle 21 to cut off thedischarge of casting material Vfrom thecrucible.

Immediately, or when a suitably brief time has elapsed, the operatorwill twist' the wrist of vhis left hand to turnthe mold sections, andthe entire structure by which they are supported andoperated,counterclockwise in Figli, or clockwise in Figf5, about thepivotal supports 3&5V and 4d until an arm of the bail 55 strikes theedge or frame bracket 34 as shown in Fig., 5. In this position of theparts, the mold gatell has been shifted fromlits upwardlydisposedu'position in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, to its downwardly disposedpositionin Fig. 5, whereupon unsolidined. portions of the castingmaterial within the mold vcavity will be poured out through'the moldgate 17| into receptacle cup 65. The angle'at which the gate 1I shall bedownwardly disposed may differ fromvthat shown in Fig. 5 to suit theshapeV and disposition of the moldy cavity, the kind of casting materialbeingused, or any other factor determining the abruptness with whichlthe unsolidied content of the mold should be discharged to produce thecharacteristic of slush casting desired. It is preferable that somelimit.

'handlej55 to move the parts into .their positions shown in full linesin Fig. 2. WhileV the mold 'section 38 is lcapable of further movementto the left than is indicated in Fig. 2, enough separation of the moldsection 38 from moldsection 31 has been effected to expose the slushcasting and enableits removal from the moldsection to which it moststrongly adheres. Also in Fig. 2-the projection 61 has cammed downwardly`and. forwardly against the top of valve control handle 21 so thattherlatter cannot be accidentally llifted and the pouring orifice 23 candischarge no hot casting material to burn the handsof the operator Whilethe castingv is being'removed from the mold section.- Also in Figs. 2and 4 the locking postEI has entered apertures 62 in the plate 39 and inthe frame bracket 374 thus holding the moldv sections and the entirerotatable structure which supports them, against turning Vmovement. Thusprojections 61 and posts Si cooperate not only to hold down the valvehandle 21 but also to keep all of the movableparts rigidly positioned'asshown Vin Fig, 2 until the operating handle 55 is again manipulated forrepeating the casting operation.

When a new casting is to be made, the operating or bail handle 55 isswung downwardly from its position in Fig. 2 to its position in Fig. 3.Toward the last end of this motion the link pivots 59 slightly pass adead center relationship to a straight line connecting the centers ofpivots 54 and 58, and by this overcentering action, permitted byresilient yielding of the bowed links 51, firmly and automatically pressand hold mold sections 3l and 38 tightly together until bail handle 55is subsequently swung upwardly about its pivots 54.

When sucient casting material has been discharged into the receptaclecup 65, the latter may be removed from its seat in the base l0 by meansof its relatively cool handle 55 which is remote from the path ofdischarge of casting material both from the Crucible and from the mold,and the solidied ingot formed within the receptacle dumped out byoverturning the cupf and if desired deposited in this manner within thecrucible chamber I8 for remeltingv without requiring the relatively hotingot to be touched by the hand of the operator.

While various ways of producing hollow or slush castings are old andwell known, I am not aware that any apparatus has heretofore existed forthe purpose which is capable of the speed, safety and uniformity ofproduction of such castings made possible by my present improvements. Ifit is preferred that solid castings be produced, many of the advantagesofthe improvements likewise apply. The operation of dumping out theunsolidied casting material is merely omitted.

By the appended claims, therefore, I do not intend to limit theinvention to any particular construction herein employed forillustrative purposes, but intend by said claims to cover allequivalents and substitutions which may come within the terms of theclaims and the principles of the invention.

I claim: f l

1. A self stable appliance for making slush castings while the appliancerests'unattached on a table top, embodying in combination, an underlyingplatform-like base, spaced front and rear frame members upstanding fromsaid base, a cradle-like structure adapted to hold a mold section andpivotally supported by and between said frame members in a mannertobeswung relative to said base for overturning said mold section while thelatter is positioned over said base, a carrier equipped to hold acomplementary mo-ld section and slidably mounted on said cradle-likestructure in a manner to swing rotatively in unison therewith relativeto said base and also to shuttle relative to said cradle-like structureaway from either of said frame members and simultaneously toward theother frame member thereby to open or close said mold sections while thelatter remain in constant rotative register, and an operating handleconnected in common to said carrier and to said cradle-like structure ina manner selectively to swing said carrier and structure in unison or toslide said carrier relative to said structure.

2. In apparatus for movably supporting complementary mold sections andoperating them single handedly in a manner to produce slush castings,the combination with spaced rear and front frame abutments, of aturnable structure intermediate and pivotallyv supported by saidabutments including a mold section holding member at the rear end ofsaid structure and a carrier for a complementary mold section slidablymounted on said structure in a location to travel away from said frontframe abutment toward said holding member for closing the mold sectionsand to travel away from said holding member toward said front frameabutment for opening said mold sections, together with an operatinglever extending past said front frame abutment connected at the Arearthereof to said carrier in a manner selectively to slide said carrierand/or to swing said structure.

3. In apparatus as dened in claim 2 the combination therein defined inwhich the said mold section kholding member comprises an apertured plateadapted to accommodate in the aperture thereof a portion of a removablemold section which penetrates said plate and projects to the rearthereof, together with a bearing` bracket rigid with and offsetrearwardly from said plate in a manner to make room for and give accessto said projecting portion of the mold section.

4. Apparatus as described in claim 2 in which the said operating leverincludes a bail portion disposed to straddle the said turnable structureand having its arms pivotally connected at their ends to opposite edgesrespectively of the said carrier thereby to be swingable in relation tosaid structure and rotatable in unison with said structure.

5. Apparatus as describedin claim 2 in which the said operating leverincludes a bail portion disposed to straddle a portion of the said frontframe abutment and having arms pivotally connected to opposite edgesrespectively of the said carrier. Y

6. In apparatus as defined in claim 2 the combination therein denedtogether with a toggle link having one end pivotally connected to thesaid turnable structure at a point intermediate the said frame abutmentsand extending away from the said front frame abutment toward the saidrear frame abutment and pivoted at its opposite end to said operatinglever.

7. In apparatus as dened in claim 2 the combination therein definedtogether witha toggle link having one end pivotally connected to thesaid turnable structure at a point intermediate the said frame abutmentsand extending away from the said front frame abutment toward the saidrear frame abutment and pivoted at its opposite end to said operatinglever, the said ends of said link falling in substantially a commonplane aligned with the direction of their travel and the intermediatebody of said link being normally bowed out of alignment with saiddirection of travel and comprised of suciently thin and resilientmaterial to spring into more abruptly bowed shape thereby to exert ayielding resilient thrust against said carrier after the mold sectionshave been forced together in a manner to permit overcentering of thesaid toggle link and operating lever for automatically retaining them inovercentered position.

8. In combination with apparatus as described invclaim 2, a lockingdevice cooperative between said turnable structure and the said frame toprevent movement of the former relative to the latter and arranged to beimpelled into locking position by the movement of said carrier whichcauses the mold sections to separate.

9. In casting apparatus, in combination with a structure includingspaced and rigidly related front and rear end members, a longitudinalguide extending from one of said members toward the l other member, amold section Amounted on the rear member, a carrier slidably Vmountedonsaid guide between said members, a complementary mold section mountedon said carrier, a handle for operating the carrier; and mechanismincluding toggle connections cooperative with saidV handle, said frontend member, and said carrier and arranged Vto transmit force for movingthe mold sections into contact when said handle isl moved, together withyieldable resilient means forming a part of said mechanism constructedand. arranged to yield to the force transmitted by said mechanism in amanner to permit said toggle connections to overcenter while forcing themold sections into contact. A

10. In combination with an appliance as defined in claim 1, a cruciblestationed on the said rear frame membery at a higher level than the saidcradle-like structure above the `said base and having a discharge spoutleadingifrom a low point in said crucible to a position above the rear fend portion of said cradle-likestructure between the said iront and rearframe members for directing moltenl casting metal into the mouth of thesaid mold sections when closed, and a receptacle constrained on saidbase under said cradlelike structure between said framemembers in aposition to receive sprue dumped from the mouth of the closed moldVsections when theyV are ove-rturned.

11. In an apparatus of portable type for supu porting complementarymoldsections and operating them single-handedly tomake slushcastportableapparatus Y ings, in combination with a frame includingspaced front and vrear standards and a platform-like base extendingbetween and supporting said standards, a cradle-like structure equippedand arranged to carry the mold sections in a manner to permit them to beopened Y and closed said structure being turnably supported above saidbase byy said standards in ka manner to swing relative to said base andhaving one of said f one of its ends positioned nearest standards andits opposite end positioned nearest the other of said standards, and anoperating lever connected to saidcradle-like structure in a manner toturn in unison therewith and also to swing relative thereto said leverbeing operatively related to one of saidmold sections for impartingrespectively diierent characteristicst of movement thereto while bothmold sections are carried by the cradle-like structure between framestandards.

12. In apparatus as described inclaim 11, the combination dened in claim11 inwhich the said operating lever comprises a rbail having armsstraddling the said cradle-like structure' constructed and arranged tobe .swingable relatively thereto in planes iianking the sides thereoffor opening and closing'the mold sections.

13. In apparatus as described in claim 11, the combination defined inclaim 11 in which the said operating lever comprises a bail having armsstraddling' the said cradle-like structure constructed and arranged tobe' swingable relatively thereto in planes flanking the sides thereoffor opening and closing the mold sections, together with separate togglelinks each pivotally connected aty one end to laterally spaced portionsrespectively of said cradle-like structure and extending rearwardly inflankingrelation thereto and pivotally connected at their opposite endto each of said bail arms respectively in a manner to enable said linksto swing to a position paralleling the sides of the cradle-likestructure between the said frame standards.

14. In apparatus of the character described, in

combination with a -stationary apparatus frame, stationary abutmentsheld in spaced relation by a length of said frame,l a movable guide waystructure,supportedbetween said abutments in vside by side relation tosaid length of the frame in a manner to be turnable in relation thereto,separable mold sections carried by said structure in a manner to turn inunison therewith one of Vsaid mold sections being also movable relativeto said structure along vsaid guide way toward and away from the othermold section,

and an operating handle connected to actuate said movable mold sectionin a manner toimpel the latter along saidA guide way and also to turnsaid guide wayk structure relativeto said frame and abutments, forkoverturning said mold sections to empty them of their contents.

15. In n apparatus `of the character described, a frame of light sheetmetal construction includinga base with a relatively high rear standard`and a relatively low front standard spaced apart thereon, aV movablemold carrying structure supported for turning'movement between saidframe standardsin superimposedy relation

